Brielle's Home near the Hospital
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As a Realtor, I was recently able to assist Angela Villamil, a single mom with 2 little daughters, with the purchase of a house in Framingham, MA. Angela was moving from Miami to be near Boston Children’s Hospital where the doctors are keeping her 6-year old daughter, Brielle, alive. Miami Children’s Hospital had told Angela they could do nothing more for Brielle and to make funeral arrangements for her little darling. But Brielle was flown up to Boston where her life was saved and where her complex medical condition will be treated forever. (More on her condition later.)
Fortunately, Angela had some cash from the sale of the Miami house that she inherited from her late mother. Angela cares for Brielle's medical needs and for her other daughter, Nuri, full time. Without a job, she was unable to get a mortgage or even rent a home. So we had a set amount of cash with which to buy a house. And this house had to be within an easy commute to Children’s Hospital, it had to be on one level because Brielle cannot climb stairs and we wanted it to be in a safe neighborhood where the girls could have a little yard.
After an intensive search and many disappointments, we found the ideal house and were able to get an offer accepted. Angela and the girls were ecstatic. But we were disappointed when the inspection report pointed out that the central air conditioning system was dead. Brielle is hooked up every night to equipment that must be kept at a cool temperature. We also learned the house needed some critical exterior work and need to rework the bath tub so Brielle can use it. I am trying to raise the funds to accomplish these repairs.
About Brielle's condition:
No person, especially a child, should suffer as this cheerful little girl does and no mother should have to see her daughter suffer like this. Brielle’s complex heart, liver, GI and lung conditions go by many, many medical names. She had 2 open heart surgeries before she turned one. She has had over 20 cardiac caths in her 6 years of life. She will need more open heart surgeries as she gets older. She needs to be closely followed with echo cardiograms and cardiac caths, not only to monitor how her heart is working but to also measure the pressure in her lungs. Brielle requires oxygen at night and when she gets sick (which is very often). She gets tired very quickly and has trouble breathing during physical activities. She gets dizzy and cannot climb stairs. Pulmonary Hypertension is a horrible disease that has no cure. It can only be treated, and even then, your life expectancy is short.
Many of the drugs to treat this horrible disease make her sicker and are not approved for kids. This causes her heart to work harder and she gets hot flashes. Scimitar syndrome affects the right side of her heart, making her lungs weak. Her scoliosis is curved to the left, this affects the left side of her lung. Her right lung is fully developed, but collapses on her frequently, and her left lung is not fully developed and is the one she usually relies on.
To help with these multiple conditions, Brielle has to have spine surgery every six months. She has rods placed on her back that allow her spine to give space for her organs. She will have to have this surgery until she stops growing. If her body ever rejects those implants, the only other option is to cut her spine. However, if this were to happen her spine would not grow and her organs will continue to grow. This surgery is very painful and it would be very difficult for her to walk again.
She has physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, each twice a week. Brielle also has a tethered cord. She has been detethered but has to be monitored closely. If it retethers, that can cause her to loose feeling from the waist down. She is currently showing signs that it may be retethering. Her left leg is turning inward, and she has lost control of her bladder a couple of times.
She feeds through a GJ tube, which is a button placed in her stomach that allows her to be fed through her stomach or intestine, depending on how she is feeling. Her stomach is very sensitive and cannot handle certain foods or too much food. Brielle has stomachaches every day, along with major acid reflux. Due to this, she had to have a fundoplication. It is very difficult for her to gain weight.
Through all the battles she has fought and still has ahead, she has a very positive attitude and has a constant smile on her face. She is very affectionate and is a wonderful sister to 4 year old, Nuri. As her mother explained all this to me, tears fell from her eyes. The one blessing is that this family now has a cheerful, clean home with a yard on a quiet, safe street within a decent drive to the hospital. Once we raise this money we can take some of the worry off this overburdened mom and she can better turn her attention to simply caring for and loving her little girls.
Please share on Facebook or with your contacts. Let's show our concern! Thank you, Deb Stein, Coldwell Banker, Weston, MA
Fortunately, Angela had some cash from the sale of the Miami house that she inherited from her late mother. Angela cares for Brielle's medical needs and for her other daughter, Nuri, full time. Without a job, she was unable to get a mortgage or even rent a home. So we had a set amount of cash with which to buy a house. And this house had to be within an easy commute to Children’s Hospital, it had to be on one level because Brielle cannot climb stairs and we wanted it to be in a safe neighborhood where the girls could have a little yard.
After an intensive search and many disappointments, we found the ideal house and were able to get an offer accepted. Angela and the girls were ecstatic. But we were disappointed when the inspection report pointed out that the central air conditioning system was dead. Brielle is hooked up every night to equipment that must be kept at a cool temperature. We also learned the house needed some critical exterior work and need to rework the bath tub so Brielle can use it. I am trying to raise the funds to accomplish these repairs.
About Brielle's condition:
No person, especially a child, should suffer as this cheerful little girl does and no mother should have to see her daughter suffer like this. Brielle’s complex heart, liver, GI and lung conditions go by many, many medical names. She had 2 open heart surgeries before she turned one. She has had over 20 cardiac caths in her 6 years of life. She will need more open heart surgeries as she gets older. She needs to be closely followed with echo cardiograms and cardiac caths, not only to monitor how her heart is working but to also measure the pressure in her lungs. Brielle requires oxygen at night and when she gets sick (which is very often). She gets tired very quickly and has trouble breathing during physical activities. She gets dizzy and cannot climb stairs. Pulmonary Hypertension is a horrible disease that has no cure. It can only be treated, and even then, your life expectancy is short.
Many of the drugs to treat this horrible disease make her sicker and are not approved for kids. This causes her heart to work harder and she gets hot flashes. Scimitar syndrome affects the right side of her heart, making her lungs weak. Her scoliosis is curved to the left, this affects the left side of her lung. Her right lung is fully developed, but collapses on her frequently, and her left lung is not fully developed and is the one she usually relies on.
To help with these multiple conditions, Brielle has to have spine surgery every six months. She has rods placed on her back that allow her spine to give space for her organs. She will have to have this surgery until she stops growing. If her body ever rejects those implants, the only other option is to cut her spine. However, if this were to happen her spine would not grow and her organs will continue to grow. This surgery is very painful and it would be very difficult for her to walk again.
She has physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy, each twice a week. Brielle also has a tethered cord. She has been detethered but has to be monitored closely. If it retethers, that can cause her to loose feeling from the waist down. She is currently showing signs that it may be retethering. Her left leg is turning inward, and she has lost control of her bladder a couple of times.
She feeds through a GJ tube, which is a button placed in her stomach that allows her to be fed through her stomach or intestine, depending on how she is feeling. Her stomach is very sensitive and cannot handle certain foods or too much food. Brielle has stomachaches every day, along with major acid reflux. Due to this, she had to have a fundoplication. It is very difficult for her to gain weight.
Through all the battles she has fought and still has ahead, she has a very positive attitude and has a constant smile on her face. She is very affectionate and is a wonderful sister to 4 year old, Nuri. As her mother explained all this to me, tears fell from her eyes. The one blessing is that this family now has a cheerful, clean home with a yard on a quiet, safe street within a decent drive to the hospital. Once we raise this money we can take some of the worry off this overburdened mom and she can better turn her attention to simply caring for and loving her little girls.
Please share on Facebook or with your contacts. Let's show our concern! Thank you, Deb Stein, Coldwell Banker, Weston, MA
Organizer and beneficiary
Deb Stein
Organizer
Framingham, MA
Angela Villamil
Beneficiary